Matt GoldsteinProf. JamesActors CraftSeptember 19, 2014Chapel MissionThe Chapel is one of my favorite buildings on campus, and this is almost entirely due to one thing its stained glass windows. When I first visited Vassars campus, I remember entering the Chapel and thinking it was alright and then turning around and having my breath taken away by the glow of the main rose window. This stunning blue and green circular window is one of the prettiest stained glass windows Ive ever seen when the sun hits it directly, it glows magically with an enchanting blue light, and even on cloudy days it seems to glow faintly.When I visited the Chapel for this mission, I started by paying attention to the smaller windows, and worked my way up to the centerpiece. Each window seems to have its own story, with a slightly different color palette, pattern scheme, and inscription. Some of them were hidden in creepy corners or stairwells, and as I crept around the large main space of the Chapel I got the feeling I was being watched. Something about being in such a huge space all alone at dusk made me feel like I was performing for someone, sort of like being on stage in a dark theater after rehearsal has ended. When I finally made my way up to the main window and craned my neck to look up at it, I was awestruck by the size and grandeur of it. Retreating back to a smaller window with a depiction of Jesus preaching on a hillside, I watched as the sun set and the effect this event had on the window.With each passing minute, parts of the window faded, but it seemed that they didnt fade all at the same time. Some portions of the window remained accented and brighter than the others, giving a skewed view of the window and its story. Finally, as the sun petered away, the window became dull, matted, and gray. This version of the window was startling, as it objectively had the same image as before, but seemed so lifeless.This got me thinking about actors and their relationships to plays and their characters. Plays are not meant to be read; they are meant to be seen and heard aloud. It is the actors, director, and creative team that bring alive a piece and breath life into it, passing the work through their own artistic lenses in order to create a vibrant piece of theatre. Similarly to a stained glass window, a play is dull and lifeless without have the light of some other force illuminate it.